Why Research at KP?

https://doi.org/10.7812/TPP/04-135

The impressive collection of Kaiser Permanente (KP)-generated research and implementation studies in women's health presented in this issue of The Permanente Journal suggests that many within our organization already understand why research in this area and in our settings is important. We start with the unique research opportunities created by the size of our membership and the integrated databases describing our members' health and health care. Motivation is increased by the realization that most KP members stay with KP for many years, providing a strong rationale for preventing the onset and progression of illness and for efforts to enhance patient understanding and satisfaction with care. Add to that the large numbers of researchers based in our regional research centers across the program who have dedicated their careers to understanding the biological and clinical factors that affect women's health and illness. To that, we add the rapidly growing numbers of clinicians and other clinical staff who have recognized that they can contribute to improving the care we deliver to women members through research, innovation, and evaluation.